Hello, design lovers!🔥

Welcome to the 10th edition of Design Feast!

Summer has officially arrived! As we soak in the vibrant summer vibes and await the Paris Olympics, design inspiration continues to thrive. Design Feast, your go-to source for creative insights, has curated the latest design news and sizzling hot trends.

Until next month, stay hydrated, curious, and most importantly, inspired! 👀

1. WHAT'S UP!

🏅Paris 2024 Olympics with Louis Vuitton

As part of LVMH ’s partnership with Paris 2024, Louis Vuitton has designed and crafted two Medals Trunks that will carry the medals and two Torches Trunks for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

Inspired by the Maison’s Malle Coiffeuse, the Medals Trunks feature a central section and two hinged “wings” with drawers designed to hold 468 medals. They are lined with black matte leather and adorned with embossed logos and serigraphy of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.

Louis Vuitton's Chairman and CEO, Pietro Beccari, expressed pride in the brand's role in packing and presenting the medals and torches, underscoring its commitment to design, craftsmanship, and major sporting events.

🍫 KitKatChup

Heinz and KitKat Chocolatory have introduced KitKatChup, a chocolate bar infused with ketchup, originally inspired by a viral TikTok trend. This product will not be available for commercial purchase.

By embracing absurdity and surprise, Heinz and Kit Kat demonstrate their agility in connecting with their audience through unconventional offerings. This collaboration exemplifies how brands can leverage viral trends to generate excitement and engage their audience.

This highlights people's enthusiasm for unconventional products. As emphasized in our 2024 Design Trends Report, Gen Z embraces chaos, imperfection, and originality. Strangeness holds creative potential that captures attention in today's competitive landscape.

2. HOT & TRENDY

🍽️ Pop up cafés: brands beyond products

In today's competitive retail landscape, more and more brands are tapping into hospitality experiences such as pop-up coffee shops and restaurants to create new retail offerings and deepen consumer engagement. Luxury brands like Jacquemus, Dior, Ralph Lauren, and many others have embraced this trend, integrating culinary experiences to extend their brand into lifestyle realms and foster emotional connections with consumers.

Gucci exemplifies this trend with its recent collaboration with Monocle Café in London, where Monocle’s coffee is served in branded Ancora red cups, Gucci’s trademark color of the season.

Beyond luxury, fast fashion brands like Zara have also capitalized on this strategy. Zara , which has previously opened Zara Cafés in London and Seville, recently opened a new one to celebrate the opening of its new store in Athens. The café integrates local cultural elements such as koulouri, coffee, and Greek delicacies, adapting Zara’s retail concept to resonate more deeply with the local community.

These initiatives underscore a broader strategy among brands to expand their ecosystem beyond traditional retail and product lines. By creating hospitality experiences, brands prolong consumer interactions and foster spontaneous brand awareness. Moreover, such experiences are meticulously designed for social media appeal, enhancing brand visibility and attracting a broader audience, particularly younger demographics. This holistic approach to retail not only enriches the consumer experience but also drives foot traffic to physical stores and positions brands at the forefront of evolving consumer expectations in a digital age.

The post-pandemic era has reshaped retail experiences, driving brands to think outside the box and offer unique experiences to their audience. To see the latest trends, including pop-ups, check out our article on retail trends! ⤵️

3.UNLEASH THE FUTURE

🤖 Beauty Genius

Today, consumers have a hard time finding the right products, with 70% feeling overwhelmed by the number of choices available. L'Oréal addresses this current consumer need by introducing a new service.

Beauty Genius, an application from L'Oréal , offers a next-generation AI-powered personal beauty assistant utilizing generative AI, predictive AI, augmented reality, and computer vision. This assistant, available 24/7, leverages L'Oréal Paris's proprietary knowledge to provide skin and hair diagnostics along with personalized recommendations for over 750 skincare, makeup, and hair color products.

The arrival of new players is prompting established brands to reinvent themselves and rethink their strategy to stand out. Discover the latest trends in the constantly evolving cosmetics market! ⤵️

4. CHANGEMAKERS

🕹️ Proteus Controller

Today, brands have a significant responsibility towards society, and design plays a pivotal role in meeting this responsibility. Notably, inclusive design, as emphasized in our article, is crucial in our increasingly diverse society. ⤵️

Recent research from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. This group represents a substantial economic force, with their combined purchasing power estimated to exceed $8 billion, as shown in the Global Economics of Disability report.

Microsoft has announced the Proteus Controller, a modular video game controller kit designed specifically for Xbox gamers with disabilities. Developed in collaboration with startup ByoWave , this controller offers over 100 million possible configurations using interchangeable magnetic cubes. These cubes include faceplates with customizable buttons, ensuring a more personalized gaming experience, along with a directional pad and analog sticks. The controller can connect wirelessly to Xbox consoles, PCs, and mobile devices. It is set to be released this fall and is available for pre-order at €234.

5. BEYOND BOUNDARIES

🍔 Deal with the trash

Last year, McDonald's Sweden introduced a feature in its app allowing customers to scan their takeaway packaging when disposed of properly in designated bins, earning rewards through the app. In partnership with The Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, this initiative aimed to combat nationwide littering.

Expanding on this success, McDonald's Sweden has now enhanced the app's functionality to include scanning packaging from competitors such as Burger King and the Swedish brand Max Burgers. This enhancement is part of the "Deal with the Trash" campaign, offering customers discounts at McDonald's for responsibly disposing of packaging from these rival brands.

This initiative highlights a unique collaboration among competing brands, united in their shared goal to reduce littering from takeaway packaging.

☎️ Want to keep the design discussion going or share feedback on this newsletter? Let's get in touch!